Sir Bruce Forsyth BBC News

Good afternoon. It has just been announced that the veteran

entertainer and presenter Sir Bruce Forsyth has died at the age of 89.

The BBC's director-general Tony Hall has paid tribute to him saying he

was one of the greatest entertainers our country has ever known.

Before we knew him as Sir Bruce, he was known as Bruce Joseph Forsyth

Johnson, born into a Salvation Army family in North London, it was clear

as a small boy that his heart was in show business. You left home at 14

to Tour of Britain to play the ukelele and the banjo.

His big break didn't take long. He first hosted Sunday night at the

London Palladium in 1958. Just a few years later he appeared at the Royal

command performance alongside Sammy Davis Junior who he admired as a

great entertainer. Nice to see you, to see you... Nice.

He was an all-round entertainer, with his all-round man he was witty,

and as was shown on the generation game he had a wonderful man with

anyone he came into contact with. Live from London. This is Strictly

Come Dancing. Please welcome your hosts. Bruce Forsyth. And then more

recently Sir Bruce became famous across all the generations, it was

Strictly Come Dancing that introduced him to a totally new

audience. More than 50 years after he started

in show business. Sir Bruce Forsyth who has died today

at the age of 89. We will of course have much more on his life